Tag Archive for May 5

Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans, Taxes

MDoT Train Wreck Still Emptying Michigan Wallets

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Michigan Department of Transportation passing even more cost through to taxpayers.

Train Wreck ImageThe failure that is Kirk Steudle and the Michigan Department of Transportation continues to demonstrate that it cannot plan nor manage taxpayer funds efficiently.

RightMi.com readers might recall that the MDoT has been spending taxpayer dollars to babysit equipment that other people own. In the last few years, it has amounted to a drop in the bucket when compared to what is a bloated state budget of 52+ billion smackers, right?  But buckets eventually fill from all the droplets as we all know, and the spigot in this case is opening more.  From the Lansing State Journal:

At the current lease rates, that means MDOT would have to sink about another $4.4 million into lease charges before it is able to put the cars into service.

That line is sufficient to point out that Steudle’s comment earlier in the year was nothing more than lip service.

“These cars are costing us money right now and we’ve got to figure out how are we going to … stop the bleeding,”

As the old joke goes .. “Whats this ‘we’ s##t Kemosabe?”

 

 

 

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All the Other Stuff, Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1

Arrogance Of The Aristocracy

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Having no one to tell them "NO" previously, our leadership brazenly assumes immunity from the law.

Watching Obama the other night was something many of my friends could not do.

As he quite literally leaned on the podium and gave an in-your-face ‘I don’t give a damn about your efforts’ speech to the congress, he further provoked with the threat of veto for anything that did not meet his agenda. The soft sneer of disrespect to the people’s house and its ‘opposition’ inhabitants was palpable.  But it was not unexpected.

How else might a top executive act when he is given every thing that he wants? In what other way would he comport himself when weak threats are buttressed by inaction and outright political cowardice?  The Republican controlled House of Representatives has hardly put its foot down each time the president has acted in an unconstitutional manner, and there is little indication it might in the future.

So the law does not matter to this president, and for many of the same reasons, it does not matter to Michigan’s governor.  When people seek power, they are sometimes willing to overlook the blatant disregard for checks and balances, and pretend the emperor is indeed fully clothed.

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Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Republicans

Ghosts Of Speakers Past

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Former speaker comments from the political graveyard of deleted PR Pieces.

Yeah, the interwebs are forever.

Then Speaker Jase Bolger had something to say about fixing the roads.  Going to the taxpayers to fund or cover for the malfeasance of our MDOT and legislative road committees was not the top priority of the sometime Snyder enabler Jase Bolger, right?

Given the lame duck performance resulted in nothing positive for Michigan’s burdened taxpayers, it’s not surprising that their ONE opportunity to solve a real problem was passed along for the taxpayer to share in the blame.  A bad package with the promise of pain for the (even with the renewed EITC) poor, and particularly the middle class once again. (Yes, shameless populism – sue me)

Indeed, this is one of the few times we had no disagreement with the speaker.

He was on the mark.

 

You Betcha! (17)Nuh Uh.(1)